1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of directly printing image data without using a PC. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of handling image data stored in various devices through a simple user interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image processing apparatuses having multiple and improved functions, and having the capability of directly printing image data without using a PC are being widespread. Such image processing apparatuses are often provided with user interfaces allowing graphic representations in order for a user to use multiple functions as easily as possible.
However, the capability of multiple functions sometimes makes the user interface complicated, and thus the user operations sometimes become complicated. For example, recent image processing apparatuses are provided with interfaces for various devices, and are capable of handling image data of different devices, such as a memory card, a flash memory, a hard disk, etc. When a plurality of devices are simultaneously connected to such an image processing apparatus, the operation by the user has been effective to one device to date, and the other devices are excluded from the target of the user operation. Accordingly, when the user changes a device to be operated among a plurality of devices connected to the image processing apparatus, the setting work of the device sometimes become troublesome for the user. For example, when the user proceeds menu screens a plurality of times in order to do this work, it becomes necessary for the user to select items on screens by operating keys, etc., and thus the operations becomes complicated.
In order to address such a situation, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-146737 has disclosed a technique in which selection of a medium and determination of an outputting device are carried out on one screen without changing display screens. This technique has reduced the user load and improved the operational performance.
In this regard, in the description of the above-described patent document, on a screen for selecting a device, an outputting device is determined from a plurality of connected devices. However, on the other hand, if a plurality of input devices are connected, it is thought that a user selects desired data from data stored in the devices. That is to say, in the technique disclosed in the above-described patent document, when a screen for selecting data stored in an input device is displayed, the user has to switch to a device selection screen once in order to select another device.